The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the Association of Commercial Television in Europe (ACT) and egta, the association of television and radio sales houses are celebrating the trustworthiness of television on the occasion of World Television Day (21 November), as declared by the United Nations.

This year again, the three organisations have produced a 30-second video clip emphasising the role TV has around the world as provider of trusted content. It will be aired by broadcasters across Europe, Asia, Canada, USA and Australia on 21 November. To celebrate their love of television, viewers are encouraged to use the hashtags #WeloveTV and #WorldTVDay on social networks on 21 November.

The video highlights that now, more than ever, the trustworthiness of television plays a central part in our daily lives as it keeps viewers up to date on what is going on at home and abroad and brings the world’s attention to what matters. Editorial responsibility, truthful reporting, top quality content, the safest environment and the reliable, independent measurement system are the DNA of TV. This makes it a unique medium for world-class content and a fully brand-safe environment… no matter on which device.

Recent studies have shown:

that levels of trust in traditional media are increasing across Europe as people question the veracity of what they see and read online. In 70% out of 33 countries surveyed, people indicate they tend to trust TV and in 11 countries TV is even considered the most trusted medium. 1

that the reputation of traditional broadcast media outlets has proven more resilient than social media platforms and online-only news outlets, primarily as a result of the depth of coverage being delivered. In all markets, television is considered the second most trusted medium (after printed news magazines) with 69% of consumers trusting the news source. 2

that in a context of growing concerns over fake news, TV is the most trusted news source across all demographic groups, with Canadians watching 101 million hours of news/week. 3

that TV is firmly entrenched in the lives of the UK population and TV advertising drives the greatest level of trust and emotional connection (respectively 42% and 58% for population 15+). 4

These collected studies on trust and more can be consulted in a dedicated section on the World TV Day website.

Caroline Petit, Deputy Director, UNRIC“Trustworthiness is a key value, now more than ever, to the television industry. This medium must play its role as a safeguard against the growing circulation of fake news, propaganda and hate speech available on an increasing number of communications platforms.”

Magnus Brooke, Chairman of the Board, ACT“TV’s worldwide audience is not only staying faithful but growing fast as viewers tune in to top quality content made and acquired by broadcasters. We are extremely proud to be among the most trusted media, and are constantly searching for new world-class content to continue to entertain and inform millions of people around the world each week.”

Noel Curran, EBU Director General“Television broadcasters are proud to have the trust of their audiences. News and current affairs, on television in particular, are core to public service media (PSM). Informing all audiences with independent news and helping them to better understand the world is crucial for a democratic society. Through its Quality Journalism initiative, the EBU is building on the strength of the Eurovision newsroom and developing new services to help public service media sustain audience trust and remain a key source of information for individuals.”

Katty Roberfroid, egta Director General“At a time when advertisers demand transparency and brand- safety, the trusted environment that television offers seems more relevant than ever. TV excels at offering a premium and sound environment for commercial communications, not only because broadcasters have been operating in this environment for decades, but also because TV is measured and audited by trust-worthy third parties, framed by strict legal rules and its content is produced highly professionally. This is truly the DNA of television even as it transforms digitally to operate on new online platforms. The editorial responsibility vis-à-vis consumers and brands alike remains unchanged – and even emphasised – in the online video sphere.“

On the occasion of World Television Day, TV broadcasters and trade bodies from around the world have joined together for the first time to release global figures demonstrating TV’s resilience and strength as an advertising medium, with the recently formed Global TV Group a new unified voice for TV.

‘The Global TV Deck’ features figures from an initial 19 countries; a sample with the figures featured below is available to download for free here. It is designed to meet the needs of advertisers who are eager for transparent, reliable data and fresh insights. Major players in the TV industry are exchanging data and technical expertise to create this valuable databank for advertisers and remind them of the continuing importance of TV. It will be updated annually with fresh data.

Areas covered in the new global databank include TV’s reach, popularity, resilience, trust and impact, and effectiveness:

Reach: Based on the compiled data, TV reaches approximately 70% of a country’s population a day, 90% in a week and nearly everyone in a month. It is the unique combination of this reach together with the huge volume of time spent watching TV that makes it such a powerful form of advertising. For example:

· In Finland, television reaches 97% of the population within a month.

Popularity: TV, in all its forms, is the world’s favourite video. On average, based on the available data, TV accounts for 90% of the average viewer’s video time. For the younger millennial audience, who are the most enthusiastic experimenters with all forms of video, it is also the largest proportion of their video time at around 73% of the total. For example:

· In the Netherlands, TV accounts for 94,4% of all video time for the total population.

· In Ireland, TV accounts for 69,4% of all video time for 15-34-year-olds.

Resilience: Over the past decade, TV has proven remarkably resilient in an era of immense disruption. Despite the emergence of new SVOD services such as Netflix and the arrival of online video platforms such as YouTube, TV consumption has remained steadfast around the globe. Life stage also continues to be a significant driver of TV viewing. For example:

· In Spain, the average amount of time sent watching TV on a TV set has increased in the last decade from 3h39 a day in 2006 to 3h51 in 2016.

· So-called millennial’sTV viewing increases as they get older and have kids. In Italy, 16-24s watch 2h13 a day; 25-34s watch 2h38; and 25-34-year olds with children watch 3h23.

Trust and impact: TV is the most trusted form of advertising and remains most likely to make consumers laugh, move them to tears or trigger emotions. For example:

· TV is by far the most trusted form of advertising in Canada. 36% of adults named TV the most trustworthy advertising compared to 10% for internet advertising.

· In the UK, 58% stated television is where they are most likely to find advertising that makes them feel emotional in comparison to 9% for social media and 6% for newspapers.

Effectiveness: Advertisers invest in TV advertising because it works. Studies around the world demonstrate TV’s many effects – and the positive impact it has on other media. For example:

· In Belgium, TV generates almost three times the brand recall of YouTube (42% vs 15%).

· In the US, disruptor brands such as Airbnb and Fitbit saw an immediate significant lift in website visits once their first TV campaign launched (figures from 13 brands feature a lift, ranging from 11% to 1 075%).

· In France, the traffic of an advertiser’s website during a TV campaign increases by 44%.

· In the UK, adding TV to a campaign generates a 40% increase in effectiveness.

· German research has shown that, when added to a radio, outdoor or magazine campaign, TV boosts the ROI by +222%, +123% and +112% respectively.

Fabrice Mollier, President egta & President TF1 Distribution:

“It has been very inspiring to see the openness with which major players in the TV industry have come together to share their profound expertise and fresh insights on TV’s strengths.

In today’s complex media landscape, it seems essential for TV to deliver accurate data and proven efficiency for advertisers and agencies on a global scale.

The whole is clearly greater than the sum of its parts, and egta – on behalf of the Global TV Group – is very proud to bring 19 markets together to highlight the power of television.”

“The meaningful insights gathered from 19 different countries around the globe provide us with a look beyond our own boundaries. We’re thrilled that this first-time compilation of figures allow us to bridge the gap between markets, as the globalisation of our business is a reality now, and it confirms across generations and continents that the effectiveness of television is a worldwide reality.”

Christian Kurz, SVP Global Consumer Insights Viacom:

“Without data, you only have opinions. The vast amount of industry-audited data and transparent figures will allow us to dig deeper than ever before and turn data into valuable insights.

This new compilation of relevant research and qualitative data will equip our industry with much needed insights on where to invest for efficient advertising.”

“We are excited that we can bring to the Czech market this extremely interesting databank, which shows the long-term resilience of television not only in the Czech Republic, but also in Europe and throughout the world. We encounter various myths and disinformation regarding television almost daily. This robust research shows the true picture of the state of television, its popularity worldwide, and provides a strong argument for television advertisement as a media communication leader.“

PRESS CONTACTS / ABOUT:

The Global TV Group is an informal grouping of broadcasters’ and sales houses’ trade bodies in Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and Latin America, whose joint objective is to promote television. http://www.theglobaltvgroup.com/

egta is the association representing television and radio sales houses, either independent from the channel or in-house, that market the advertising space of both private and public television and radio stations throughout Europe and beyond. egta fulfils different functions for its members including regulatory issues, audience measurement, sales methods, interactivity, cross-media, new media etc. Over the years, egta has become the reference centre for television & radio advertising in Europe. egta counts 140 members in 40 countries. www.egta.com.

Alain Beerens – Marketing & Communication Manager, egta

Phone: +32 2 290 31 38 – E-mail: alain.beerens@egta.com

The Association of Commercial Television (AKTV) was formed in 2017 as an association of terrestrial television broadcasting operators with the goal of defending, supporting and promoting the common interests of commercial broadcasters in the Czech Republic. The founding members of the Association are the Nova, Prima and Óčko television networks. www.aktv.cz.

Screen Force (DACH) is the joint initiative of thirteen sales houses for television and online video in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In Germany, the partners of Screenforce are representing more than 97% of the TV ad spend. www.screenforce.de.

Screen Force Netherlands represents the strength of premium video content on all screens. Content which is measured in an accurate and transparent way. Outside the Netherlands countries like Germany, Finland, Austria and Switzerland also have a TV marketing body under the name of Screen Force. With them and also with other strong international TV markets, we always look for more cooperation and joining forces. Always with the purpose enable advertisers to achieve their marketing objectives with premium video content on all available platforms. www.screenforce.nl.

SNPTV (The Syndicat National de la Publicité Télévisée) is a professional organisation of the French TV sales houses (TF1 Publicité, M6 Publicité, France Télévisions Publicité, Canal + Régie, Next Régie, Lagardère Publicité, Amaury Media, Be Viacom, beIN Régie). SNPTV has for the main mission to collect the proofs, through collective studies, that the television is the undeniable media for the advertisers and their TV ads in terms of return on investment, construction of brand, fame, image, etc. www.snptv.org.

Virginie Mary – Deputy Director, SNPTV

Phone: + 33 (0)1 41 41 43 21 – E-mail: vmary@snptv.org

Thinkbox is the marketing body for commercial TV in the UK, in all its forms. It works with the marketing community with a single ambition: to help advertisers get the best out of today’s TV. Its shareholders are Channel 4, ITV, Sky Media, Turner Media Innovations and UKTV, who together represent over 99% of commercial TV advertising revenue through their owned and partner TV channels. Associate Members are Discovery Networks Norway, Disney, London Live, TAM Ireland, Think TV (Australia), thinktv (Canada), TVN Media (Poland),TV Globo (Brazil), TV2 (Norway) and Virgin Media. Discovery Networks UK & Ireland, and STV also give direct financial support.www.thinkbox.tv.

Simon Tunstill – Communications Director, Thinkbox

Phone: +44 (0)20 7630 2326 – E-mail: simon.tunstill@thinkbox.tv

Think TV is a marketing initiative of Free TV Australia – the industry representative for all of Australia’s free-to-air metropolitan and regional commercial television broadcasters. Its mission is to maintain and grow TV advertising revenue by inspiring the advertising and marketing community to think TV. www.thinktv.com.au.

Dominic White – Director of Communications, ThinkTV

Phone: + 61 2 8968 7100 – E-mail: dwhite@thinktv.com.au

Thinktv is a marketing and research association dedicated to the advancement of commercial television. Thinktv works with the marketing community to help advertisers get the best out of television in all its forms. Thinktv is supported by its member companies who together represent more than 95% of commercial television advertising revenue in Canada. www.thinktv.ca.

Laura Baehr – VP Marketing, thinktv

Phone: +1 416 413 3885- Email : lbaehr@thinktv.ca

The Video Advertising Bureau is the leading authority on the quality and value of ad-supported TV and professionally produced video as it is distributed and viewed on every screen and device. The VAB puts the marketers first as it continually invests in industry-leading research and analysis to produce insights into consumer behavior and the power of TV programming to drive awareness, consideration, sales traffic, activation and loyalty. www.thevab.com.

The Association of Commercial Television(AKTV), which represents the most important operators of commercial television broadcasting in the Czech Republic, has become a new associate member of egta, the trade association of over 139 television and radio sales houses throughout Europe and beyond. AKTV will represent the Czech Republic, along with the existing egta members – broadcaster groups Nova and Prima, and also the AtMedia Group.

In addition, AKTV has joined The Global TV Group, an informal grouping of broadcasters’ and sales houses’ trade bodies in Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and Latin America, whose joint objective is to promote television.

In the 43 years of its existence egtahas significantly expanded the sphere of its work as well as its membership, which currently comprises 139 members in more than 40 countries. egta offers its members support in research, networking, marketing, advocacy and regulatory assistance. It is an organizer of multiple international conferences and seminars. The association’s vast network also facilitated the establishment of The Global TV Group, a worldwide initiative which connects associations of television broadcasters and advertising sales houses from all over the world.

„We appreciate the support and trust provided by egta in everyday questions of our operation. AKTV´s agenda is wide ranging – from marketing activities to public affairs, for this reason, we value close collaboration and we are happy to use the egta experts’ know-how“ says Jan Vlček, President, the Czech Association of Commercial Television.

„We’re very proud to welcome AKTV to the egta family as an associate member and are looking forward to working closely together towards our common goal: the promotion of television.“ adds Katty Roberfroid, Director General, egta.

About AKTV:

The Association of Commercial Television (AKTV) is an association of terrestrial television broadcasting operators with the goal of defending, supporting and promoting the common interests of commercial broadcasters in the Czech Republic. AKTV was established in 2017 in response to the growing need among commercial television companies to defend and promote their interests. AKTV intends to represent their interests vis-à-vis government authorities and to be a partner in the dialogue as part of making both national and European laws. It will also focus on protecting copyrights and marketing and educational activities in the field of television broadcasting.

About egta:

egta is the European trade association for marketers of advertising solutions across (multiple) screens and/or audio platforms, with the aim to help its members protect, grow and diversify their business around content edited and broadcast on a linear basis by their TV channels and/or radio stations.

egta’s members are sales houses that commercialise the advertising space of both private and public TV and radio channels throughout Europe and beyond. egta’s strength lies in the diversity of its members: they are independent sales houses or commercial departments within a broadcaster’s structure. They include large companies in major markets and medium-sized companies in smaller markets.

Performances of the main commercial broadcasters show, however, that the market has not returned above the pre-2008 level.

The Czech television market in 2014 and 2015 rose in net investments by less than 5%. The comparison, based on economic results (performance) of the main commercial players in Czech television market (Nova Group, Prima Group, Barrandov Group), also shows that in total the television market volume has not returned above the 2008 level. On the other hand, 2015 had the second best result of the observed period of time. In 2015, which is so far the last year with available data regarding the three subjects, the total performance of the companies CET 21, FTV Prima and Barrandov Televizní Studio reached 8.5 billion Czech Crowns. Compare this to 2014, when it was almost 400 million Czech Crowns. As compared to 2008, however, the 2015 result is behind by 1.3 billion Czech Crowns.

After 2013, which was affected by TV Nova´s business policy, which led to decrease in advertising investments (-5 %), the market started to grow again the following year. It continued for two subsequent years, during which the total performances of the main players in the commercial market increased by just under 5%. According to existing prognosis, growth in several percent is also expected for 2017.

Nova Group’s performance declined during the 2008-2013 period; however, after 2013 their performance started to increase. Their competitor,Prima has improved by one-fourth in the same period (2015 vs. 2008). The record year 2013, in which TV Prima took advantage of the aforementioned business policy of TV Nova, has not been surpassed in the following years.

Total performances of CET 21, FTV Prima and Barrandov TS, 2008-2015, in millions of Czech Crowns

The new Association of Commercial Television (Asociace komerčních televizí, z.s., “AKTV”), established by CET 21 spol. s r.o., FTV Prima, spol. s r. o. and Stanice O, a.s. started operating in February 2017. The principal objective of AKTV is to associate commercial TV broadcasters in the Czech Republic and collectively defend, support and promote their interests in liaisons with government and EU authorities. The first President of AKTV is Jan Vlček, Executive Director and Sales Director of Nova Group. Marie Fianová is the Secretary and is in charge of running the Association.

The Association of Commercial Television was founded in response to the growing need among commercial television companies to defend and promote their interests. AKTV intends to represent their interests vis-à-vis government authorities and to be a partner in the dialogue as part of making both national and European laws. It will also focus on protecting copyrights and marketing and educational activities in the field of television broadcasting

„Over the last few years, we have seen an increasing number of legislative changes and modifications with direct implications for commercial broadcasting, both on the national and European level. As a result, we have felt the need to express the opinions of commercial broadcasters on issues such as the restrictions on advertising in TV broadcasting, which are currently being discussed by the European Parliament,” says Jan Vlček, President of AKTV. “In addition to the legislative agenda, we also wish to focus on illegal distribution and retransmission of our channels’ broadcasts,” Mr Vlček adds.

The Association’s supreme body is the General Meeting, in which the founding members are represented by votes at a ratio of 46 : 46 : 8 (Nova : Prima : Óčko, respectively). AKTV’s governing body is the Management Board, with members Jan Vlček and Štěpán Peichl on behalf of CET 21, Marek Singer and Vladimír Pořízek on behalf of FTV Prima and Štěpán Wolde on behalf of Stanice O. The Association will also involve five working groups that will provide the expert inputs for AKTV’s activities. The General Meeting will assess applicants for membership on an ongoing basis taking into consideration the criteria defined by the AKTV Articles of Association. The principal criterion for the admission to AKTV is operating terrestrial television broadcasting over the entire territory of the Czech Republic.